


Trip to the Zoo

by Mystic_Harley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Dates, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-12 23:48:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16005839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystic_Harley/pseuds/Mystic_Harley
Summary: Harry's first date with Oliver to the muggle world starts with a trip to the zoo. Nervous as hell, he's just hoping Oliver will have a good time.





	Trip to the Zoo

Harry sighed as he smoothed his hair down again. Frowning, he watched as his unruly locks stuck back up in the air. Grumbling, he reached over for the hair gel bottle, only to be stopped when it zoomed out of his hand. “Oi!”  
  
Rolling her eyes, Hermione rolled the bottle in her hand and gave him a pointed look. “Harry, that’s not going to work no matter what you try. You’ve been at this for half an hour already.”  
  
Shooting her a betrayed look, he took a step back and pulled on his Christmas jumper. Usually he wouldn’t be wearing it, but muggle London was always dreadfully cold this time of year. “Well, I want to look nice, okay?”  
  
Ron snorted a little, leaning back in his chair. “Mate, you could show up wearing your skivvies and polka-dot robes and Oliver would still be head over heels for you.” He flinched a little as Hermione smacked him on the arm. “Ow! What?”  
  
Harry’s lips twitched a little in amusement as he patted his mokeskin pouch transfigured into a muggle wallet in his trousers’ left pocket. Wand safely tucked away up his sleeve. “I think that’s everything…I hope…” He looked around his room, wondering if he could have possibly forgotten anything, but Hermione stood up and began shoving him out the door.  
  
“Harry, you look wonderful. You have the money for the zoo?”  
  
“And lunch.” He confirmed, mentally double-checking how much pocket change he had on hand. “I’m not going to take him anywhere expensive-“  
  
“Yet.” Ron cut him off, and Harry shot him a mock-glare as his best friend grinned.  
  
“Just somewhere nice for lunch. Erm…well, Fish and Chips seems a bit…cliché, isn’t it?” He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. He truthfully had absolutely no idea where to take Oliver for lunch once they reached the zoo.  
  
“Why not take Oliver into the city and have him pick?” Ron suggested, blinking as both of his friends turned to look at him. “What? Oliver’s not going to be familiar with muggle food, isn’t he? So, take him out in the city and just tell him where they are and let him pick.”  
  
“Ron, that is a wonderful idea!” Hermione cried, hugging his arm.  
  
Rolling his eyes, he shrugged. “Thanks, I like to have them on occasion when it suits me.” Harry snorted, but filed it away for potential plans later down the line. He glanced up at the clock and sighed out.  
  
“I’ve got to go, I’m due at the Leaky Cauldron in 5 minutes and I don’t want to be late.”  
  
Hermione nodded, but Ron rolled his eyes. “Mate, we can do _magic._ You’d have to try to be late wouldn’t you-ow! Hermione!”  
  
Ignoring Hermione’s scolding of her boyfriend for what felt like the millionth time, Harry sucked in a breath and almost apparated to the Leaky Cauldron before he stopped himself. “Shite!” He cried, running back into his room.  
  
Ron and Hermione shared a confused look, and he barged back out, a little out of breath but holding a pair of tickets in his hand. “Almost forgot these, that would’ve been a right pain in the arse to forget…”  
  
Snorting in laughter, both his friends bid him goodbye and good luck before he apparated straight to the Leaky Cauldron.  
  
Gracefully, he leaned over and grabbed the nearest empty table for support as he stumbled. He could hear the snickers of the other patrons as he blew out a breath, standing up straight and dusting his robes off. “Hello Tom.”  
  
The bartender snorted, putting a clean glass down and picking up another one. “Afternoon Mista Potter want a drink?”  
  
Shaking his head, Harry sat down at the table. “Not today, thank you. Just here to see a friend.”  
  
“Well I hope that you aren’t going to apparate anywhere with them!”  
  
Harry chuckled, shaking his head. “No, I’m definitely not going to be apparating with him. I have two perfectly good legs, and I intend to use them, thank you very much.” A smattering of laughter tore through the bar, and they all went back to their usual business as Harry took a moment to calm himself before he got worked up into a tizzy again.  
  
It would be fine, he assured himself. The London Zoo wasn’t that far out of the way from the Leaky Cauldron, all things considered. It would take a bit of walking, but Oliver had assured him that was okay. Merlin forbid he try and ride a Taxi.   
  
Shaking his head at the idea of such a thing, Harry’s head snapped up when the door opened from the wizarding side, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw Oliver.  
  
If he was to be honest, there wasn’t anything particularly fancy about the way Oliver had dressed. A pair of jeans and a nice warm-colored jumper in red and gold adorned him. He could easily pass for a muggle.  
  
But to Harry, he saw one of the most beautiful sights he thought he’d ever witness. Oliver didn’t look plain, he looked _wonderful_. Standing up, he walked over to his date and gave him a crooked smile. “Hey, looking good.”  
  
Oliver ducked his head a little, a small smile creeping on his face. “Thanks, so do you.”  
  
Beaming, Harry inclined his head at the door. “Ready to explore the animal kingdom?” His heart did a funny little stutter as Oliver’s eyes seemed to sparkle with happiness at the question. Eagerly, he nodded and grabbed Harry by the wrist, practically dragging the younger man out the door.  
  
“What sort of question is that? Of course, I want too! Come on, we don’t want to be late!”  
  
Easily adjusting his stride, Harry matched Oliver’s pace as they left the magical world behind and fully entered the muggle one. They paused for a moment as Oliver stopped, looking all around at the various vehicles and muggles walking bye.  
  
“Doing alright?” Harry gently touched his arm, and Oliver beamed at him.  
  
“I’m doing brilliantly, this is going to be amazing. Can you tell me about these muggle carriages they’re in?” They began walking, and Harry laughed a little.  
  
“They’re called cars. I’m not entirely sure about the specifics, but they’re basically…” He paused, unsure how to word it properly. “They’re like horseless carriages.”  
  
“Yeah Harry, I sort of figured that one out on my own.” Oliver laughed as Harry thumped his arm a little.  
  
“Git. They’re sort of like gas lanterns. You know, pump the gas and it lights up?” Oliver nodded, watching Harry intently. “Imagine a gas-powered carriage. One that’s self-propelling and can reach speeds of a firebolt.”  
  
Oliver’s eyes widened at that, and he stared out at the cars driving along the road. “And the muggles use these to get around?”  
  
Harry nodded. “That or the underground these days.” His date quirked his head a little.  
  
“Underground?”  
  
Pursing his lips a little, Harry shrugged a bit, his hands in his pockets. “It’s basically a train that everyone rides. Take the underground to get to other parts of the UK.”  
  
Nodding in understanding, the two fell into a comfortable silence, Oliver drinking in the sights and sounds of muggle London, occasionally prodding Harry and asking him questions about various places. Finally, they reached the entrance to the London Zoo.  
  
“Here’s your ticket, once we get stamped in, we’ll have the whole day to ourselves…and the animals.” They traded grins, and Harry watched in amusement as Oliver impatiently waited for the line to keep thinning before they finally were able to hand in their tickets and enter the zoo properly.  
  
There was an avalanche of people as Harry and Oliver first entered the zoo. Oliver looked like a little kid, swinging his head all around to try and drink in as much as possible. Harry smiled, tugging on his jumper a little. “Try not to get lost, I don’t want to be walking around for 10 minutes screaming your name like I’m your mum or something.”  
  
Smirking a little at his date, Oliver slid up to him and held him tight. “Then I’ll stay right by your side and not move a single inch.”  
  
Harry flushed a little at the sudden contact, but he rolled his eyes and hooked his arm with Oliver’s. “Assuming I don’t throw you into the tiger den first.” Grinning again, Oliver tugged Harry towards the direction of the Tiger Territory. Pursing his lips, Harry discreetly summoned a map over to them, so they wouldn’t get lost.  
  
The Tiger Territory was bigger than Harry had expected, but he couldn’t help the smile as Oliver leaned over the railing like a school child the second he got there. “Harry! Harry come look, quick!” Walking over to his date, Harry watched as one of the tigers gave a great big yawn. Slowly, the majestic animal stood up and stretched before walking forward lazily.  
  
“It’s beautiful…” Oliver breathed out in awe. Harry hummed in agreement, more content watching Oliver’s reactions than the actual animal itself.  
  
Harry found it strange that Oliver seemed so enraptured in the non-magical animals. Perhaps it was the fact that Harry still had a muggle background that he seemed to find the idea of magical animals more enamoring. Sure, tigers and lions and gorillas were interesting and fun to watch but compared to some of the magical animals out there, Harry could only guess what made Oliver so enraptured.  
  
“Please don’t actually jump in the pen Oliver. I really don’t want to have to explain why my date is trying to cuddle with the tigers.” Oliver was leaning more over the railing, but he pulled back with a wide grin on his face.  
  
“Very tempting though.” He motioned for the map, and Harry handed it over.  
  
“Maybe I should start wearing tiger-print clothes more often. You might suddenly want to cuddle with me more.” Oliver snorted as he poured over the map, his eyes scanning over the paper before he closed it.  
  
“We’re going to see the Gorillas next.” The older man decided, folding the map up and handing it back to Harry, who nodded and followed him with a content sigh.  
  
Nobody was staring at them as they approached the Gorilla Kingdom. Nobody had stared at them when they walked in, and nobody had approached them with stars in their eyes going ‘Wow! You’re Harry Potter!’  
  
Was Harry scared that his fame would ruin any future relationship with Oliver? Absolutely, how could he _not_ fear something like that? No matter where he went, people would know exactly who he was, and there were probably rumors of him and Oliver already thanks to leaving the Leaky Cauldron together. The entire wizarding world would know by supper.  
  
In the muggle world? He was no one to be lauded at. No one to approach and ask for autographs and certainly no one that they should care. He was just another face in the crowd, and he had Oliver.  
  
“Harry! Are you going to pick up the pace or make the tortoises jealous?” Blinking, he scoffed at his date’s teasing and jogged a little to catch up.  
  
“Maybe I’m walking at a normal pace, and you’re going to fast the hares will be spinning in circles. Slow and steady wins the race Oliver.” He wagged his finger teasingly at Oliver, who scoffed as they entered the Gorilla Kingdom.  
  
As they approached, Harry was reminded of the lessons he learned in primary school. Oliver beamed widely and nudged Harry, pointing at the Gorilla sitting there, munching on some leaves. “Look at him! Brilliant.”  
  
“You know, Gorillas, along with other primates, are apparently genetically cousins to humans. Or…something, like that at least.” He wasn’t a zoologist. Oliver however, seemed greatly interested in Harry’s rather lame attempt to spout animal facts.  
  
“Are they really? Do you think they have magic?”  
  
Oh. That was an interesting question. Harry frowned in thought, briefly wondering if he should bring the subject up with Hermione. “I’m…not sure, I mean, I guess it’s possible, but…” He trailed off, shrugging helplessly.  
  
“I mean, they’re so close right?” Oliver insisted, looking back at the gorillas with wonder. “Well, I guess we’d know about that if they were, now that I think about it.”  
  
“I can picture it now though.” Harry laughed, spreading his arm wide. “The headlines for the Prophet: Magical Gorilla break out of Zoo again! Animal handlers are shocked and confused by this. Please if anyone spots Reginald, a 100 galleon reward for whoever catches him.”  
  
Harry couldn’t fight the grin on his face as Oliver laughed, the former keeper’s face alight with joy as he shook his head. “I can see that happening too, that’s the worst part.” Snorting in amusement, Harry nodded and together they leaned on the railing to watch the gorillas.  
  
The one they spotted sat there for a few moments, it mostly seemed to be relaxing. “It’s so strange, how similar they are to us and yet they’re so different.” Oliver commented. Harry shot him a curious look, briefly pushing his glasses up on his nose. “I mean, you can almost think they have it easy. They don’t really have to worry much about food or shelter right? I mean sure, people would stare at you all day but…” He trailed off, eyes widening a little.  
  
“Shite, I’m sorry Harry, I- “Harry waved him off, shaking his head.  
  
“No Oliver, it’s okay. I get it.” Oliver gave him a skeptical look, and Harry rolled his eyes. “Seriously, I get it. It’s…” He hesitated, tapping his finger against the wooden railing. “I guess, it’s something I’m used to, like the gorilla, I bet. You get used to the staring after a while.”  
  
Oliver’s face twisted a little, looking from sad to angry to neutral in a manner of seconds. He put his hand on Harry’s arm, speaking in a lower tone. “You shouldn’t be stared at.” Harry blinked, staring down at the gorilla. He wasn’t really sure what to say to that.  
  
“Well, now that I’ve done a successful job at making things awkward, you want to hit the aquarium?” Harry frowned at Oliver.  
  
“You didn’t make things awkward.” Pushing himself up, he grabbed Oliver by the wrist. “Come on, you’re going to adore the aquarium, trust me on this one.” Pulling the map out with his free hand, he wrangled it open and began pulling Oliver towards the direction of the aquarium.  
  
“What’s at the aquarium?”  
  
Harry turned to his date and grinned wickedly at him. “Magic, that’s what.” Rolling his eyes, Oliver let him pull him along to the large building off to the side. “Are you ready to have your mind blown?”  
  
Nodding eagerly now, Harry opened the doors and made a grand sweeping motion with his hand. With a roll of his eyes, Oliver stepped inside.  
  
He stopped cold. Eyes widening, he didn’t wait for Harry before surging in. The giant glass tank was there right in front of him, and he carefully walked up to it and gasped a little as he saw all the fish dart and swim around. “Sweet Merlin…this…”  
  
“Is amazing?” Harry finished for him, grinning widely as he watched the fish in their home. Oliver nodded mutely, a grin threatening to break his face.  
  
“This is more than amazing…”  
  
Harry squeezed his arm a little. “You haven’t seen anything yet, wait until you see the jellyfish.”  
  
Oliver swiveled his head around, eyes wide at him. “Jellyfish? What are those?” With a giant smile, Harry gently pulled Oliver away from the tank and lead him down the various halls, letting him stare in awe at the various aquatic life before they found the right tank.  
  
Pointing upwards, Harry’s heart threatened to burst at Oliver’s gasp. “Those Oliver Wood… are jellyfish.”  
  
The jellyfish wiggled and pulsed its body. It’s long thing tendrils floated through the water and it gave almost an ethereal look as they floated around the tank. “Some even glow in the dark.”  
  
“Without magic?”  
  
“Without magic.” Harry confirmed, watching the strange sea-creatures swim around in the water. “Beautiful things, aren’t they?”  
  
“Oh yeah, for sure. I’m…” He paused and looked Harry in the eye when he said this. “I’m really glad that you brought me here Harry. I’m having the time of my life.”  
  
Rubbing the back of his head a little, Harry shuffled on his feet a bit. “You’re uh…welcome, I guess. But we haven’t even had lunch yet. I thought we’d stroll around the city and you have a go at what you want?”  
  
Oliver just grinned madly at him, so Harry took that as a yes.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading this, and for Moon: I DID IT. WITH EXTRA WORDS. Reviews are appreciated!


End file.
